Canon won't drop the price for a couple of years. The dealers/resellers might. In 1-3 no the the price might drop by $100 or so but it's going to be near $3000 for a while of its anything like the course the 5D MkII took

There is always an initial rush. In the first several months you are going to have to pay full retail price. As supply catches up with demand, certain dealers will begin to drop prices a little.

But keep in mind: if the camera is great, demand is likely to remain high as the more careful shoppers who waited for early reviews begin to make their purchases. If the price drops too quickly, there's something wrong.

I wouldn't expect any price drops until MAYBE christmas rush, but that may even be a kit only rebate, not camera only... camera only maybe next spring. They typically wont drop more than $100 per canons mantra, however dealers may drop more depending on supply and demand and how quickly they are turning them over... Good luck waiting if that's your choice...

Don't wait for price drops on this camera if you want it. You may save very little, your time monitoring will add up to a fair amount of time wasted, and the money saved will not nearly add up to the pictures you missed and the delay in the familiarization with the new camera.

Don't wait for price drops on this camera if you want it. You may save very little, your time monitoring will add up to a fair amount of time wasted, and the money saved will not nearly add up to the pictures you missed and the delay in the familiarization with the new camera.

I have to agree on this! But I also got the info from a friend who works at a local dealer that the base price from canon is not that high, so maybe you can get an instant rebate when the camera comes out. At least my other dealer (and also good friend of mine) told me that we could squeeze the price a little bit when their numbers come in from canon.The friend who knows the base price also told me that he might get it soon with his working rebate for around 2600€ (its 3300€ right now in germany). But I dont think thats realistic.....He only gets like 5% normaly and I don't think theprice will drop under 3000€ anytime so, which is why I'm in top of the preorder list @ calumet germany :)

I think that the answer to the questions you pose is dependent upon how well the 5D MkIII is selling. If people are buying the MkIII at the same rate as they bought the MkII, then I don't think that Canon will have any incentive to reduce the price for at least a couple of years. If the 5D MkIII is not selling well then Canon may choose to reduce the price to perhaps match the D800, or slightly undercut it.

A lot also depends upon your location; in the USA, launch prices are usually pretty close to "mainstream" prices, until you get three years or so down the road and into "run out" prices. In the UK, launch prices are generally quite a bit dearer than "mainstream". However to reiterate nehemiah's view, the price drops are unlikely to be great enough to recompense not having the camera for a year; if you can afford it today, order it today.

Given that the 5D III immediately shot to the top of Amazon's best seller list on announcement and has remained there ever since, (Current #1 among DSLRs and #2 among all cameras and photo) it doesn't seem like there is much need for Canon or retailers to reduce the price to boost sales.

If you look at the Canon Price Watch price history charts, you'll see that the Mark II remained pretty consistent in price right up until last Christmas shopping season. It would drop to about $2,400 during rebate times and then climb back up to about $2,500 during non-rebate periods.

Some of the other comments on this thread raised a question for me. I wonder if Canon is offering their retailers a bit larger margin on the 5D III than they have in the past. Many people have assumed that Canon is taking all the profits from the price increase, but given some of the statements on this thread, I'm now wondering if they might be forcing a higher retail price in order to boost margins for their resellers. Resellers have been badly squeezed over the past several years and giving them a bit of an extra margin might be a powerful incentive to boost brand loyalty in the front lines.

Finally, and I wish I could recall the exact details of this, but shortly after the 7D came out, Canon ran a small, not well-publicized promotion for registered users of their DSLRs that offered a small direct rebate from Canon if you purchased a 7D and sent them proof of purchase. I think I saved something under $100 through the rebate, which was better than nothing at the time. If your current cameras and lenses are registered with Canon, you might want to watch your inbox. I have no idea if they'll repeat, but it's worth watching for.

I could see a price reduction, Canon needs a winner. I don't know how many people love this camera, but if you looking around the web, its getting slammed. There are some core canon folks defending it, but mostly unhappy people/Nikon fans posting. Which if, I was new to canon and researching this camera it would be moving me toward a different camera. You'll really never see posts in forums from happy people, unless they are helping someone.

While i know this might be comparing apples to oranges, canon has a very recent history of dropping price:

Canon dropped the price of the new C300 from 20K - 16k in just two months facing serious competition from Red's less costly Scarlet. Consider: on just this video spec alone - uncompressed video out- Nikon's D800 leaps past the great 5D. This may spell trouble for the 5DMarkIII because again Canon may faces serious competition from a less costly model.

I think there is at least a possiblity the analogy to the C300 situation holds true here. It will all come down, as others have said, to the real world performance of this camera and its competitor. If the Nikon offering is close enough in performance, considering trade offs, pluses, minues etc., to the performance of the 5dMkIII, there is a big enough price difference to be a problem for Canon. We could see the price come down. If it sells, we're stuck.

Personally, I suspect that the situation with the 70-200 F2.8 IS II, which dropped about 10% from launch prices (2500ish to 2300ish, IIRC), will also apply to the 24-70 II, and (i hope) the 5dMkII. The prices are high, and given consumer confidence levels even higher. Maybe it will be in the form of rebates (like the deals to get the 70-200 down to around $2k for a short time), maybe a permanent drop. But I'm looking for something to happen. These wouldn't be the first tech products introduced with 'optimistic' pricing on the part of the manufacturer.

My original 5d still works, and I was ready to pull the trigger on the new one at $3k. $3500 is too much for me right now. I may wait it out and save up, I may choose to get the MkII on the used market and use it until the MKIV drives MKIII prices down, or may not buy anything. Luckily my old cameras still take great photos. But one thing is for sure: I will NOT switch to Nikon. ;)

Here is my take on it:- In 2008 Canon released the 5D Mark II for $2699- In 2012 Canon released the 5D Mark III for $3499 and dropped the price of the 5D Mark II to $2199- Canon says they will continue to sell the II along the III (Just like what Nikon's doing with the D700 and D800)

In a way Canon is 'strategically' leaving the II in the market to compete with Nikon's full frame offering.On a different front, Canon may have had a large number of the 21.1 sensors produced (for the II and left from the 1DsIII) and does not want to kill off the sale of the II. From a manufactures perspective it would be unjustified to release the III at $2699 or even $2999 because that would mean anyone who was in the market for the II will buy the III instead.

In terms of competition, if either of the two companies discontinue their lower end full frame offering (and hereby reduce the retail price of the higher end) the other manufacturer will follow suit.

So while the II may seem like a bargain, the III will ultimately replace it and should see its price dropped.

Not to forget that investment in the development of the the new 22.3MP sensor needs time to be paid back, hence early adopters will bare this cost and maybe placing this sensor in a different camera product altogether.

What Canon ought to do is crop this sensor to and put in a APS-C lightweight SLR as high quality low light 8.7MP camera with the AF/viewfinder of the 7D. I'd take 2.

I could see a price reduction, Canon needs a winner. I don't know how many people love this camera, but if you looking around the web, its getting slammed. There are some core canon folks defending it, but mostly unhappy people/Nikon fans posting. Which if, I was new to canon and researching this camera it would be moving me toward a different camera. You'll really never see posts in forums from happy people, unless they are helping someone.

"The Net" really isnt a very good guide to how sucessful a camera is going to be I'd say, on camera forums it tends to be those who didnt get what they wanted and fanboys of rival brands that shout the loudest, if you went by DPR espeically pretty much every camera would be a disapointing failiure.

My guess would be that prices drop a little quicker than the 5D mk2 though, the mk3 to me seems like a camera more focused on the professional market so I'd guess Canon believe that pro's who've been waiting for improved AF, FPS, ISO etc will buy even if it a bit more expensive. Even with the disasters in asia supply will probabley be better this time around as Canon likely have much higher expectations than they did with the somewhat supprizing sucess of the Mk2.

From Canon Rumors Guy: It’s also rumored Canon will regulate the price of this camera starting in May. Which means, there will be a certain price point that a retailer cannot go below to sell the camera. This sort of regulation will also make such things advertising “free” things to bundle with the camera not allowed. This is good for retailers if true.

See my previous post on this thread. It looks like Canon may indeed be trying to protect and incentivize the dealer network.

From Canon Rumors Guy: It’s also rumored Canon will regulate the price of this camera starting in May. Which means, there will be a certain price point that a retailer cannot go below to sell the camera. This sort of regulation will also make such things advertising “free” things to bundle with the camera not allowed. This is good for retailers if true.

See my previous post on this thread. It looks like Canon may indeed be trying to protect and incentivize the dealer network.

Far be it from me to complain, but the last rumor that they'll be enforcing a minimum price, even on bundles, but I think that's going to shoot them in the foot. Price it how you have to make a profit, but not letting free-market take over makes me think that Nikon understands marketing better (not that I'm going to sell everything and transfer but still . . . ).

I honestly don't think it will help, it'll just just catalyze the 5DmkII market.

From Canon Rumors Guy: It’s also rumored Canon will regulate the price of this camera starting in May. Which means, there will be a certain price point that a retailer cannot go below to sell the camera. This sort of regulation will also make such things advertising “free” things to bundle with the camera not allowed. This is good for retailers if true.

See my previous post on this thread. It looks like Canon may indeed be trying to protect and incentivize the dealer network.

Far be it from me to complain, but the last rumor that they'll be enforcing a minimum price, even on bundles, but I think that's going to shoot them in the foot. Price it how you have to make a profit, but not letting free-market take over makes me think that Nikon understands marketing better (not that I'm going to sell everything and transfer but still . . . ).

I honestly don't think it will help, it'll just just catalyze the 5DmkII market.

Nikon started enforcing the full msrp a few months ago.

In any event, there is a small markup on lenses and bodies, so sellers are very limited in any price reductions they make.

I don't see any significant price drop for years... maybe not until the next 5D (mark IV or whatever) gets close to being released. Might drop about $100 by next year, but that's chump change. The Mark II came out at $2700, I think, and I bought one a year-and-a-half later for $2400.

However, I would guess that there's a reasonable chance that Canon will offer one of their rebates within a year or so - perhaps around the holiday season or early 2013 ???

I hope the glowing reviews and the specs for the 5D III live up to the hype. If so, the 5D III is definitely on my must have list. Just want to wait a while to justify the cost.

1. When will Canon drop the price of the new 5D Mark III?When the 5D Mark IV is released.2. What price will it drop to eg. $2999

Depends on the exchange rate of the USD to JPY at that time. If it were 10JPY to $1USD, then the price would be $10,000.3. Your thoughts

I think the 5D3 will be a great upgrade to the 5D2. The 5D3 samples at imaging-resource are great compared to the 5D2's. Check out the ISO3200 (and higher) samples... much better than the 5D2... and may even be better than the D4.

I think it is great that Canon let the images show the true upgrade from 5D2 to 5D3 rather than a bunch of specs and numbers, which is usually the easy path for manufacturers. It would definitely have been easier to just write a headline such as "The 5D3 has 3 times as many pixels as the 5D2".

Far be it from me to complain, but the last rumor that they'll be enforcing a minimum price, even on bundles, but I think that's going to shoot them in the foot. Price it how you have to make a profit, but not letting free-market take over makes me think that Nikon understands marketing better (not that I'm going to sell everything and transfer but still . . . ).

I honestly don't think it will help, it'll just just catalyze the 5DmkII market.

Nikon started enforcing the full msrp a few months ago.

In any event, there is a small markup on lenses and bodies, so sellers are very limited in any price reductions they make.

Sorry; I meant the fact that they've got something at the $2500 price point that's FF. I guess we'll have to wait and see what happens in the next year; maybe the 5DmkII will live along side the mkIII as that "entry level FF" that's always rumored.

The 5DIII will be in better supply than the 5DII, so the price drop will be quicker.

I think at most a $200 rebate @ Christmas. Based on the current demand, I think it will be just as come the Christmas season. As for $1000 off by next year, I think that's crazy. It makes no sense considering, the mark II has never been $1000 off and they will continue to sell it, there's no reason for Canon do drop the MK III by $1000 a year after launch. I guess that's wishful thinking, but not realistic.

If there are going to be any price drops, it will be after DxO and/or dpreview have reviewed it.

If the lack of DR is confirmed in production models and it becomes apparent that the 5D3 is roughly the same as a 5D2 for taking photographs then it is possible that cost conscious people will stop buying the 5D3 and buy the 5D2.

And cost conscious means people that aren't professional photographers because all those that are professionals will be able to factor it in to this year's capital expenses one way or another (and will get a VAT/GST refund on top of writing it off for tax purposes.)

So the buyer looking for a discount is going to have to wait...

I'm a pro and I prefer to be cost conscious! Less costs = more profit, even with tax refunds

Also, please take time to review the article that I linked above. The relationship between the yen and the usd is not likely to bring a price drop anytime soon. After the initial verified retail price there might not be much dropping. :(

Also, please take time to review the article that I linked above. The relationship between the yen and the usd is not likely to bring a price drop anytime soon. After the initial verified retail price there might not be much dropping. :(

with the rate of money printing in both the US and europe the price is more likely to go up if anythinginflation is a coming

If there are going to be any price drops, it will be after DxO and/or dpreview have reviewed it.

If the lack of DR is confirmed in production models and it becomes apparent that the 5D3 is roughly the same as a 5D2 for taking photographs then it is possible that cost conscious people will stop buying the 5D3 and buy the 5D2.

And cost conscious means people that aren't professional photographers because all those that are professionals will be able to factor it in to this year's capital expenses one way or another (and will get a VAT/GST refund on top of writing it off for tax purposes.)

So the buyer looking for a discount is going to have to wait...

I'm not a pro and I am function concious so I buy the body that I want (although I do take care of the pennies at the same time)

There used to be a theory that FF cameras would come down in price, to the point where there would be no point in buying crop gear. The "crop is a stopgap until sensor manufacturing technology catches up" theory.

Now that the D800 and 5D3 prices are out, this doesn't seem to be the case.

FF is going high-end. We get a fancy sealed body, 100% viewfinder, top-notch autofocus. It doesn't look like we'll get a FF sensor in a Rebel-like body, selling to the masses at Bestbuy, any time soon.

In holland it took about 12-15 months before any significant price drop of the mkII.

I saw a pricedrop yesterday to € 3019,-http://azerty.nl/producten/product_detail/1118/492986/canon-eos-5d-mark-iii-digitale-camera-slr-22-3-mpix-exclusief-lens.html (http://azerty.nl/producten/product_detail/1118/492986/canon-eos-5d-mark-iii-digitale-camera-slr-22-3-mpix-exclusief-lens.html)

As Canon is not alone in the marketplace that price is more logical looking at the hardware, between the D800 & D800e. I bet the price is quite different from initial price by the time of Photokina - I expect more mirrorless are kicking in: * most probably the video in the upcoming Panasonic GH3 is better feature wise and IQ than the 5D3* DR is already better than Canon today (Fuji, Sony, Nikon)* because of fierce competition more innovation * by Photokina this year, I expect the 5D2 to be discontinued

In holland it took about 12-15 months before any significant price drop of the mkII.

I saw a pricedrop yesterday to € 3019,-http://azerty.nl/producten/product_detail/1118/492986/canon-eos-5d-mark-iii-digitale-camera-slr-22-3-mpix-exclusief-lens.html (http://azerty.nl/producten/product_detail/1118/492986/canon-eos-5d-mark-iii-digitale-camera-slr-22-3-mpix-exclusief-lens.html)

If there are going to be any price drops, it will be after DxO and/or dpreview have reviewed it.

If the lack of DR is confirmed in production models and it becomes apparent that the 5D3 is roughly the same as a 5D2 for taking photographs then it is possible that cost conscious people will stop buying the 5D3 and buy the 5D2.

And cost conscious means people that aren't professional photographers because all those that are professionals will be able to factor it in to this year's capital expenses one way or another (and will get a VAT/GST refund on top of writing it off for tax purposes.)

So the buyer looking for a discount is going to have to wait...

I'm a pro and I prefer to be cost conscious! Less costs = more profit, even with tax refunds

I acknowledge the cost conciousness. But over 500 dollars over you bread and butter tool???Its like saying I want to be the best carpenter in the market place but I am waiting for the BOSCH mitre saw to fall by 50 bucks before I can use it to do jobs better which might net me 500 bucks extra.

We are, however, in a time with relatively tumultuous currency markets. If the yen crashes or the dollar strengthens then that will push the price down as Canon will have to remain somewhat competitive with the gray market.

I can remember people in 2008 planning to wait for the price of the 5D MK II to drop. The cameras were almost constantly back ordered for well over a year, and it briefly dropped over three years later to $2,000 last Christmas. I wonder if they are still waiting for it to drop below $1000 ;)

If there are going to be any price drops, it will be after DxO and/or dpreview have reviewed it.

If the lack of DR is confirmed in production models and it becomes apparent that the 5D3 is roughly the same as a 5D2 for taking photographs then it is possible that cost conscious people will stop buying the 5D3 and buy the 5D2.

And cost conscious means people that aren't professional photographers because all those that are professionals will be able to factor it in to this year's capital expenses one way or another (and will get a VAT/GST refund on top of writing it off for tax purposes.)

So the buyer looking for a discount is going to have to wait...

Like many people on forums, you overestimate the influence of online reviews. I doubt that Canon care all that much about the DxO test since unlike Nikon, they don't grease DxO's palms. If it mattered that much they'd pay out for it. I don't think there will be a substantial price cut while they are still selling mkII's. I think they have too many mkII sensors and when they have sold them through the mkII will be discontinued.

I believe the prices will come down sooner, especially with the sales of the D800 being so high! Canon cannot afford to let its reputation as a leader slip!

Also the landscape of photography has changed since 2008! Now far more amateurs are looking to go full frame, and far more movie makes are switching to DSLR! Actually the BBC and Hollywood using them too!

I believe the prices will come down sooner, especially with the sales of the D800 being so high! Canon cannot afford to let its reputation as a leader slip!

Also the landscape of photography has changed since 2008! Now far more amateurs are looking to go full frame, and far more movie makes are switching to DSLR! Actually the BBC and Hollywood using them too!

Uhh... canon is pumping out more 5d3's than the ever did with 5d2's during it's release and the camera is still backordered. On the BH Photo Video thread on this forum, some are awaiting a backorder well into june. It may be presumptive and some humor aside, but Canon isn't losing money to the D800, yet. Now once the camera demand settles, bodies actually sit on shelves longer than a day, and things iron itself out, we may have a better understanding of demand of the D800 vs 5D3 then.

I predict the price of the MKIII will be exactly the same price at Christmas as it is right now. I will be shocked if the price comes down any within the next 12-18 months. It will probably be more like 24 months. When I bought my MKII in December '08 it was the same price as when it launched and I don't remember seeing widespread price reductions on it until 2011(BUT, I also wasn't pricing or looking to buy another one until last fall).

If you can't afford it at this time, that's fine and there's nothing wrong with that. In fact, way too many people spend money they don't have on things they don't need. BUT, if you're just holding out trying to save a few bucks(being cheap) instead of getting it now and enjoying it for the longest time span possible, well to me, that's a poor decision. I would rather pay the "full price" on day one and get and enjoy something I really wanted, than wait a year(or two or more) and try to save, maybe, a few hundred bucks. In that one to two years, are you really going to miss a few hundred dollars(assuming that buying it doesn't over extend you financially to begin with)?

I have seen as low as 2900€ compared to the initial 3300€ or even 3600€ in some places.

I think the price doesn't matter that much, it is worth it or not. If I manage to wait for a high MP model I'll stay with Canon, though I'm a bit tired of Canon. Adding just more megapixels will not make a new product.

I think the price will hold for the first year since we are looking at possibly a 3 year cycle. Demand is healthy. A lot will depend on other announcements by Canon (like the other DSLRs this year) and the market response to them, and obviously Nikon and their pricing. They may very well keep product, stock, and new offerings tight so that they maximize each product one by one. I bet the 1Dx was delayed because they want the 5D sales to breathe and then fall off. And they will get everyone excited. Also, it appears that there is healthier supply of the kit version of the 5Diii. And this could be helped by the delay of the new 24-70 ii. A lot of people will buy both these lenses. It looks like canon will have a very exciting and healthy 18 months and they wont play all their cards at once. Its quite interesting that they announced the 1Dx long before the 5Diii, without availability of the former for a long time.

My soothsayer insists even she doesn't have any clue either how many D800s or 5D Mark III the twin overlords in Japan have sold so far but that the 5D Mark II may meet its maker before the first snows fly and that the 5D Mark III will match Nikon on price through rebates and then permanently to keep the game interesting. (Her money was on North Carolina though, not Kentucky, so go figure.)

Hi i guess the price will drop sooner than later cause the 5D MK III ranked 20th in sales in USA & 28th in Japan as per DSLRphoto.com compared to D800 which is 2nd in USA & 6th in Japan the MK III it can't keep up with the D800 sales no matter how good the 5D is. because the D800 has higher MP advantage & cheaper price.

Hi i guess the price will drop sooner than later cause the 5D MK III ranked 20th in sales in USA & 28th in Japan as per DSLRphoto.com compared to D800 which is 2nd in USA & 6th in Japan the MK III it can't keep up with the D800 sales no matter how good it. D800 has higher MP advantage & cheaper price.

Megapixels do not a camera make... or something like that. 8)

A bajillion Megapixels aren't everything. Look at both manufacturers newest flagship pro bodies. 16.2MP for the Nikon D4 and 18.1MP for the Canon 1DX.

I'm in no way knocking the D800, but there is more to a camera than JUST a sensor. And there are people that will buy it JUST because they see 36MP and know nothing else.

Hi i guess the price will drop sooner than later cause the 5D MK III ranked 20th in sales in USA & 28th in Japan as per DSLRphoto.com compared to D800 which is 2nd in USA & 6th in Japan the MK III it can't keep up with the D800 sales no matter how good it. D800 has higher MP advantage & cheaper price.

Megapixels do not a camera make... or something like that. 8)

A bajillion Megapixels aren't everything. Look at both manufacturers newest flagship pro bodies. 16.2MP for the Nikon D4 and 18.1MP for the Canon 1DX.

I'm in no way knocking the D800, but there is more to a camera than JUST a sensor. And there are people that will buy it JUST because they see 36MP and know nothing else.

Hi don't get me wrong i was wishing for 7D MK II with same MP with better high ISO noise control like what they did with MK III but a lot of people i know get emotional with the 36MP. For me i don't care for print so 18MP of my T2i/550D is perfect.

Hey azizjhn. That's why I threw in that last line about people buying JUST because it has 36MP. There is is no doubt that that is what's driving a lot of sales. But a lot of those people are going to end up with bad pictures. You have to have good technique for a camera like that, to get the most out of it, or even just 'good' out of it. It's like I said even about my 5DMKII, it is a "deliberate" camera. It's not a point 'n shoot. You have to have some skill. But there will be a lot of people that get to say that they have the highest MP SLR in the world.

And I was hoping that Canon was going to keep the 5 around the same rez and work on reducing noise and make the picture better and add some more important things like a better focus system, and fortunately that's what they did.

I have seen as low as 2900€ compared to the initial 3300€ or even 3600€ in some places.

I think the price doesn't matter that much, it is worth it or not. If I manage to wait for a high MP model I'll stay with Canon, though I'm a bit tired of Canon. Adding just more megapixels will not make a new product.

Its pretty simple if canon are selling this in the numbers that they expect then the price will stay the same for the foreseeable future on the other hand if its not selling well and there not making enough money which is what its all about they will drop the price simples. i expect to see a couple of hundred uk pounds off this camera for xmas.

It's funny how all the reviews compare D800 and 5D3 by taking photos with a 50mm and zooming like 1,000,000% to show d800's superiority. Well there will be occasions when 36mp will help in cropping but if one wants to take photos of a BIF / human eye just use a longer lens. If you use a 50mm (argument sake, number 50 is not that important here) and crop all the time to get your composition right then isn't something wrong with your thinking?

Could we expect a price drop for the 5D3 to be more competitive towards the D800?

As noted by others, the price of the 60D was dropped once the D7000 was launched. However, don't expect a 5D3 price drop happening for a while as Canon probably will struggle to keep up with demand in the beginning.

I think this could also make sense in terms of Canons DSLR lineup. There will probably be an entry level FF to compete with Nikons rumored D600. 5D2/5D3 sensor in a 60D or 7D type body at 1700-2000$ maybe. If so theres really no room for anything in between to compete with the high MP D800. Above a possible $3000 price point for the 5D3, there is room for a high MP camera (3D?) before the 1DX at $6800. Problem with this is: how could Canon send former 1Ds3 users to a cheaper 1DX or "3D"?

Probably not ... currently it more looks like Nikon will adjust the price of the D800/E upwards

That would be my guess as well, especially considering how big the demand and how small the supply has been for the D800. Would I be happy if the 5DIII were $500 cheaper? Of course! Am I willing to be without the substantial improvements the 5DIII offers, for months or years, just in case the Canon decides to lower the price a few hundred bucks? Hell no :) The more I use this thing, the more I like it.

While I don't disagree that they are reputable dealers, Kerso (Flash Camera) deal with USA imports. I could import it myself from B&H, paying all of the import duty up front to B&H, for $4,336.57 (£2,680). So this doesn't constitute a real price drop. It comes with a Canon USA warranty which is apparently "valid in all of Europe with UK invoice provided." Personally I'd rather not take that risk on a camera body (lenses, with international warranties, sure) and pay the extra to have EU consumer law on my side. If you're keen to import a body, DigitalRev are reputable and are selling it even cheaper again.

(Also, when my 5D Mark III bodies are out of stock I sell them for £2,000 :P)

While I don't disagree that they are reputable dealers, Kerso (Flash Camera) deal with USA imports. I could import it myself from B&H, paying all of the import duty up front to B&H, for $4,336.57 (£2,680). So this doesn't constitute a real price drop. It comes with a Canon USA warranty which is apparently "valid in all of Europe with UK invoice provided." Personally I'd rather not take that risk on a camera body (lenses, with international warranties, sure) and pay the extra to have EU consumer law on my side. If you're keen to import a body, DigitalRev are reputable and are selling it even cheaper again.

(Also, when my 5D Mark III bodies are out of stock I sell them for £2,000 :P)

In summary... it's still £3k in the UK.

First - lets get the consumer law straight. You are covered as the camera is bought from a UK shop.

Second - Digital Rev do not pay the duty for you and they are a HK based company

So the £3k comes from the official importers, £2.6 from the unofficial company. No difference in warantees.

Second - Digital Rev do not pay the duty for you and they are a HK based company

Actually... (http://img841.imageshack.us/img841/6311/drevq.jpg)

The price includes import duty. Digital Rev also provide their own 1 year warranty at service centres within the UK. For now I will leave my pre-order at Park Cameras as it is... although I am warming to the idea of Flash Camera if Canon UK really will honour the warranty.

Title: Re: 5D3 price drop?
Post by: te4o on May 07, 2012, 10:32:28 AM

The price in Australia dropped 3 days after introduction from 4200 AUD to 3999 AUD. Grey- grey-white about 3500. Consider the price of the 1Dx if this is still too high... I could not wait for a price drop.

So far, no one has shown a price drop. Just imported gray market cameras sold at the full price in the country where they were purchased, plus a markup. Canon sells them in the USA for $3500 and they are charging that plus a markup.

A price drop comes when Canon drops the price to dealers.

Title: Re: 5D3 price drop?
Post by: lady on May 13, 2012, 03:01:21 PM

People on another photography forum I go on are swearing that the price is going to drop by Christmas because the D800 is just too competitive. The D800 is an equivalent camera, selling for $500 less. If you're a professional, $500 might not seem like a lot and can be made up quickly. If you're an amateur or a hobby photographer that's enough to push someone towards the 5DII instead (assuming they don't already own it). I don't see a price drop happening until they stop selling the 5dII's, which right now are priced much fairer.

Is $1,300 really worth an AF system, some nifty added features, and slightly better performance? A lot of photographers are saying no. A lot of the people who bought the 5D3 at launch are really defensive about this and trying to justify their purchase.

For me, yes. For others, evidently not. I would buy the mark III over the II on the AF system alone. I've invested thousands in L glass for marginal improvements in image quality (okay, and low light performance) so I'd pay $1,300 to double or triple my rate of in focus shots, sure.

Put another way... if I already had a 5D II and Canon told me they could put a 1D X autofocus system into it for a parts/labour charge of $1,300 - would I do it? Hell yeah.

For me, yes. For others, evidently not. I would buy the mark III over the II on the AF system alone. I've invested thousands in L glass for marginal improvements in image quality (okay, and low light performance) so I'd pay $1,300 to double or triple my rate of in focus shots, sure.

Put another way... if I already had a 5D II and Canon told me they could put a 1D X autofocus system into it for a parts/labour charge of $1,300 - would I do it? Hell yeah.

For me, it's worth it too. I shoot animals and things that move far more often than I'm sitting around shooting people that are sitting down or posing. But an AF system, while invaluable, is still just an AF system. It didn't exactly require a ton of engineering to get done (considering the 7D already has a similar system with less focus points) and probably, at most, I'd value it at $500 new over the 5D2. Not $1,300. Is it something I need and would have to pay the extra money for? Yes. But that doesn't mean it's actually worth the ridiculous prices they're charging.

So far, no one has shown a price drop. Just imported gray market cameras sold at the full price in the country where they were purchased, plus a markup. Canon sells them in the USA for $3500 and they are charging that plus a markup.

A price drop comes when Canon drops the price to dealers.

Beach had some ebay deals last week I heard and J&R has had $130 if you order through one rep for the past two weeks. So there have been some discounts around. One I sell the kit, collect cash back points and with the $130 off I might end up getting the body for around $3150 total.

Right on, V8. The most any photographer can do is nail the exposure, the perspective, timing, etc. The autofocus is something that a still photographer operating on their own cannot do, and must rely on the camera for. The days of the 80s are gone when anyone pretends to be able to keep perfect focus on a pole vaulter with manual focus, for instance.

For me the entire price of the camera was devoted to the autofocus system... otherwise, I would have been more than happy with extra copies of the cheaper 5D II.

Higher mega pixel translates to higher noise. I switched to Canon because now Nikon is getting into mega pixel race Canon was in. The change was not without pain, getting rid of my Nikon D90 and the expensive lens. I have compared photos in low light between Mark iii (which I purchased with Amazon just in case I want to returned it) and my friend's D800. D800 obviously has more pixels but also more noise. If I shoot outdoor, I would upgrade to D800 but I am shooting mostly indoor so I am keeping the Mark iii. Also the focus speed and the auto white balance of the Mark iii is much better after careful comparison. My friend was silent after the comparison. I am not saying which one is better, it depends on what you are shooting. The mega pixel hype is to fool those who up to date still have no idea of the concept, no pun intended. You got to be kidding if Nikon or Canon can fool me to buy their camera base on mega pixel count. However, there is one thing I got to say, I am quite upset about Canon's sharp price drop. I am seeing $2995 in some stores, don't know their reputation but I suspect it may be grey market. I paid $3495, what a bummer! Canon, why is the price is so out of control, Nikon is doing a much better job stabilizing the prices? Grey market should only be $200 difference, not $500. I belief this a Canon price tactic, low balling Nikon with grey market after they discovered Nikon's better pricing point. The Mark iii should cost about the same as D800 to manufacture.

There is always an initial rush. In the first several months you are going to have to pay full retail price. As supply catches up with demand, certain dealers will begin to drop prices a little.

But keep in mind: if the camera is great, demand is likely to remain high as the more careful shoppers who waited for early reviews begin to make their purchases. If the price drops too quickly, there's something wrong.

Don't expect any discounting until the Christmas shopping season.

Wait until Nikon D600 comes out... watch Canon's potential buyers sway toward the better bodies. Canon will alienate their customers who bit the bullet on the MKIII by reducing the cost by $500... they should, but are too ignorant to realize that...

Hi i guess the price will drop sooner than later cause the 5D MK III ranked 20th in sales in USA & 28th in Japan as per DSLRphoto.com compared to D800 which is 2nd in USA & 6th in Japan the MK III it can't keep up with the D800 sales no matter how good it. D800 has higher MP advantage & cheaper price.

Megapixels do not a camera make... or something like that. 8)

A bajillion Megapixels aren't everything. Look at both manufacturers newest flagship pro bodies. 16.2MP for the Nikon D4 and 18.1MP for the Canon 1DX.

I'm in no way knocking the D800, but there is more to a camera than JUST a sensor. And there are people that will buy it JUST because they see 36MP and know nothing else.

You fail to recognize the obvious advantage of D4 and D800 over the MKIII - LOW LIGHT capabilities!!!!

Its pretty simple if canon are selling this in the numbers that they expect then the price will stay the same for the foreseeable future on the other hand if its not selling well and there not making enough money which is what its all about they will drop the price simples. i expect to see a couple of hundred uk pounds off this camera for xmas.

I agree with you, Canon has now shut out independent repair shops except for a few big ones, just like Nikon. At least Canon does support their products, and does not drop them whenever sales slow down. Try and get service or parts for a 2 year out of production Sony, if you need parts, they cost as much as a new camera, but you are safe, since there likely will not be any unless the part is also used in a current model.

Hi i guess the price will drop sooner than later cause the 5D MK III ranked 20th in sales in USA & 28th in Japan as per DSLRphoto.com compared to D800 which is 2nd in USA & 6th in Japan the MK III it can't keep up with the D800 sales no matter how good it. D800 has higher MP advantage & cheaper price.

Megapixels do not a camera make... or something like that. 8)

A bajillion Megapixels aren't everything. Look at both manufacturers newest flagship pro bodies. 16.2MP for the Nikon D4 and 18.1MP for the Canon 1DX.

I'm in no way knocking the D800, but there is more to a camera than JUST a sensor. And there are people that will buy it JUST because they see 36MP and know nothing else.

You fail to recognize the obvious advantage of D4 and D800 over the MKIII - LOW LIGHT capabilities!!!!

I'm not sure that I fail to recognize anything. I was simply saying that you can't judge a camera solely on it's resolution/MP count, but there are those that do.

Hi i guess the price will drop sooner than later cause the 5D MK III ranked 20th in sales in USA & 28th in Japan as per DSLRphoto.com compared to D800 which is 2nd in USA & 6th in Japan the MK III it can't keep up with the D800 sales no matter how good it. D800 has higher MP advantage & cheaper price.

Megapixels do not a camera make... or something like that. 8)

A bajillion Megapixels aren't everything. Look at both manufacturers newest flagship pro bodies. 16.2MP for the Nikon D4 and 18.1MP for the Canon 1DX.

I'm in no way knocking the D800, but there is more to a camera than JUST a sensor. And there are people that will buy it JUST because they see 36MP and know nothing else.

You fail to recognize the obvious advantage of D4 and D800 over the MKIII - LOW LIGHT capabilities!!!!

I'm not sure that I fail to recognize anything. I was simply saying that you can't judge a camera solely on it's resolution/MP count, but there are those that do.

I think he read the troll sheet wrong - it should say LOW ISO CAPABILITIES

If you wait for a price drop, that wait will turn in to the wait for the 5D4.

When do you expect the 5D4 to be released? ;)

Personally, I would predict that the 5d4 (or equivalent ff 5d3 sensor upgrade) will be released sooner than the 5d2->5d3 period. Even if Canon would come up with a 5d2-like major firmware upgrade, that wouldn't update the sensor nor change the hardware for things like hdmi out.

There is no way the camera is dropping $1000 by next year. The actual cost for Canon to build this camera is $2400. They're not going to be selling it for $100 over cost. Perhaps 2 years from now it will hover between $3000-3200. Anyone who thinks it is going to see a huge price drop is just a victim of wishful thinking I suppose, not that there's anything wrong with that.

How do you know that??? I think this information is as business-confidential as it gets, so I'd be very surprised to read something like this on cr.

Ever heard of researchers like http://www.isuppli.com/ (http://www.isuppli.com/) or others?I do not know what the hw cost of the Canon are exactly in this case, though, didn't check my researches, but its certainly not that impossible to estimate. Nonetheless I agree the components like the sensor and further none hardware related costs are a factor too, still not impossible to come close. 2400 sounds high though to me...

On a side note, even though nobody might care...

I finally(!), after long long weeks of checking & comparisons (also with Nikon)ORDERED my 5D3 as a Kit.I reached my threshold and have a very good warranty on top from a good dealer.Can't wait to get my beauty of the beauties ;D

Because my friend works for Canon and I got a MkIII for cost plus 20%, so I know what it costs them to make one.

Well, thank you and your friend for sharing this information :-) ... that certainly reduces the possibility of massive price drops, but I really wonder how the 5d3 can be so much more expensive to make? The 5d2 sharing basically the same sensor is sold for much less after all, and I assume Canon does make a healthy profit even with the older camera body.

Is it maybe because the $2400 include the high advertising and r&d effort for the 5d3/5dx af system, and after the r&d is returned the actual hardware manufacturing cost is much lower?

I seriously doubt that any manufacturer, especially one with such a diversified product line, can say with certainty what one particular product costs them.

I'm not suggesting that they don't assign a cost to the product, I'm just suggesting that it is inevitable that the assigned cost has to factor in a number of assumptions that are not so easily segmented. Certainly, for their own internal accounting purposes, they would try to keep the camera division costs separate from the office machines division. And, I'm sure they try to segment the costs out as much as possible within a division – calculating real costs where possible and assigning shared costs as best they can.

But, costs don't fit neatly into clear assignments to individual products. Just use sensor research as an example. At some level, the research benefits every sensor they develop from the smallest point and shoot to the 1Dx. The cost of research unique to a particular sensor or format can be assigned, but the embedded costs of having a sensor development division must be allocated over the entire product line. Product development research must also be shared across products. The allocation will be done using hundreds of assumptions, many of which are made according to the overall goals and objectives of the company, not necessarily based on what percentage of the entire product line an individual product represents.

Ultimately, Canon is a single company and that means that various divisions must supplement one another depending on current market conditions, so that the entire product line survives over time. Just this spring, in their shareholder call, Canon stated that the office machines division was down and profits from the camera division were able to offset those losses.

This doesn't mean that Canon will or can lower prices. It doesn't mean that the $2,400 figure for the 5DIII is right or wrong or that they haven't assigned that number to the cost of the camera. It means that it's a little crazy to try to say "this camera costs this much to make" and even crazier to say "Canon is ripping me off because this camera should only cost this much."

In the end, the only relevant cost is the cost the consumer is willing to pay.

This doesn't mean that Canon will or can lower prices. It doesn't mean that the $2,4000 figure for the 5DIII is right or wrong or that they haven't assigned that number to the cost of the camera. It means that it's a little crazy to try to say "this camera costs this much to make" and even crazier to say "Canon is ripping me off because this camera should only cost this much."

You're correct, thanks for expanding on the alleged $2400 price tag.

But I think there's still is a baseline price which includes just the manufacturing costs (parts (patent fees for ip, in-house and 3rd party parts), labor and shipping) without return of invest for r&d and setting up the whole assembly and without costs for supporting the whole Canon enterprise, including support & warranty.

This is the price the 5d3 will not drop under even if it's manufactured for 100 years. While it might be interesting how higher it's for the 5d3 vs. the 5d2, of course this has no meaning for real world consumer prices.

This doesn't mean that Canon will or can lower prices. It doesn't mean that the $2,400 figure for the 5DIII is right or wrong or that they haven't assigned that number to the cost of the camera. It means that it's a little crazy to try to say "this camera costs this much to make" and even crazier to say "Canon is ripping me off because this camera should only cost this much."

You're correct, thanks for expanding on the alleged $2400 price tag.

But I think there's still is a baseline price which includes just the manufacturing costs (parts (patent fees for ip, in-house and 3rd party parts), labor and shipping) without return of invest for r&d and setting up the whole assembly and without costs for supporting the whole Canon enterprise, including support & warranty.

This is the price the 5d3 will not drop under even if it's manufactured for 100 years. While it might be interesting how higher it's for the 5d3 vs. the 5d2, of course this has no meaning for real world consumer prices.

I bought my 7D about 5 months ago and the price was about $1550.00. 2 months later it dropped to $1400.00. Now the price (at B&H) is back up to $1550.00. The 7 is holding it's value quite well even though it is almost 3 years old now. I don't regret buying it at the higher price because it was a fair price when I bought it so it isn't a big deal.

The 5D2 listed at $2200.00 shows that it still holds it's value really well. We just bought a lightly used 5D2 w/ grip from a friend who recently upgraded to his 5D3 and was really motivated to sell. We paid $1600.00 for our 5D2. We can't tell it from a new camera. (Less than 25K clicks)

I can't see paying full retail for anything (prices always change, rebates, sales, whatever) unless your NEED truly outweighs the costs. And if that is the case, pay what you need to pay. I have lots of friends who rushed out to get their 5D3's and are now dumping their "old" equipment to pay for it. :)

My camera stock is growing and I am paying half of the cost new! I love it!

How do you know that??? I think this information is as business-confidential as it gets, so I'd be very surprised to read something like this on cr.

Because my friend works for Canon and I got a MkIII for cost plus 20%, so I know what it costs them to make one. It's not just a random number that I thought sounded nice.

You paid Dealer's cost + 20% not the manufacturers production cost. This is what car dealers tell you when they say they are giving it to you at cost (they aren't including the manufacturer's incentive in that by the way). You got a great deal, but way overestimates the production cost. Per unit manufacturer's is an ever changing amount due to the economies of scale. R & D/1000 is alot different then R & D/100000.

Sorry but there is no way it costs Canon $2400 to build a 5d3. The camera is only a couple of months old and can already be bought for AU$3015 from a HK importer. They listed it at ~$3500 to begin with so they have dropped their prices $500 in a couple of months only. I think the Aussie retail price will hover around $3500 in about 9 months time but Canon want to hold the price as high as they can to add a little perceived value to the camera. http://www.dwidigitalcameras.com.au/store/product.asp?idProduct=4160 (http://www.dwidigitalcameras.com.au/store/product.asp?idProduct=4160) and that includes postage, an aussie agent for issues and 1 year warranty. So no, the 5d3 does not cost $2400 to build and will likely be available for about $2800 or less from HK importers within the next year.

I purchased one about 2 months ago for 3495 from Teds... when they had a 10% discount. The best price atm is 3,688 for australian stock. Buying grey market is a risk if you get hit for duty (anything over 1000), thats if they check. Kogan are selling it for 3,389.00, which is also grey market but the duty is taken care of.

I purchased one about 2 months ago for 3495 from Teds... when they had a 10% discount. The best price atm is 3,688 for australian stock. Buying grey market is a risk if you get hit for duty (anything over 1000), thats if they check. Kogan are selling it for 3,389.00, which is also grey market but the duty is taken care of.

Actually http://www.leedervillecameras.com.au/digital-slr-cameras/canon-dslrs/canon-eos-5d-mkiii (http://www.leedervillecameras.com.au/digital-slr-cameras/canon-dslrs/canon-eos-5d-mkiii) has had it at $3599 since launch basically and they are aussie stock. $3495 from Teds is a pretty good find. At the moment Myer has 15% cameras from a retail of $3999 bringing it down to $3400. But ~$3500 from Teds, I'd be happy.

Obviously, the 5DIII cannot sell for $2499 if its costs $2400 to build.And yet, it will sell for that much. Mark my words.

I personally think the $2400 value is the cost that they sell to retailers or distributors. The actual cost to make the product will be far less. This isn't a game console where they make money back on the games. They make a big chunk on the hardware itself.

If it is the cost to actually make the product, then it will include the R&D costs and the production line. Something that no doubt will decrease rapidly as the camera sells.

I personally don't think they can go on long selling it at the price it is. A $500 drop will come soon I think, especially with cheaper Nikon rival SLRs.

Obviously, the 5DIII cannot sell for $2499 if its costs $2400 to build.And yet, it will sell for that much. Mark my words.

I personally think the $2400 value is the cost that they sell to retailers or distributors. The actual cost to make the product will be far less. This isn't a game console where they make money back on the games. They make a big chunk on the hardware itself.

If it is the cost to actually make the product, then it will include the R&D costs and the production line. Something that no doubt will decrease rapidly as the camera sells.

I personally don't think they can go on long selling it at the price it is. A $500 drop will come soon I think, especially with cheaper Nikon rival SLRs.

Agree with all of this except I doubt the price gets much lower than $2999 anytime soon.

Also...There are 3 prices...retail, cost, and canon's cost. I used to run a retail golf shop, the term "cost" always referred to the retailers cost. Also, the manufacturers would often use this "cost" price as the price that their own employees could purchase the product...in this example, a canon employee would pay retailer's cost of $2400...some companies add plus 10 or 20% for their employees.

I don't doubt the $2400 as the retailers cost, but Canon's actual cost is probably in the $1500 range... That's just a guess.

So, maybe they make it for 1500, sell it to retailer xyz for 2400, retailer xyz sells it to us for 3500? ballpark est.

I just ordered a MK3 body for 3,099 on evil bay. USA retail, non-grey market. 8)

Its really too bad your supporting evil bay by buying something they will get at least a 10% fee out of on the seller side, if not more when you factor in the PayPal fees as well. :\ (I really despise ebay these days...moneygrubbing greedmonsters...meh.)

I just ordered a MK3 body for 3,099 on evil bay. USA retail, non-grey market. 8)

Its really too bad your supporting evil bay by buying something they will get at least a 10% fee out of on the seller side, if not more when you factor in the PayPal fees as well. :\ (I really despise ebay these days...moneygrubbing greedmonsters...meh.)

Oh well, Too bad canon didn't turn out a product that I feel is worth the extra 500$ Retail. ::)

Electronics Valley is not a Authorized Cannon Dealer, so there will be no warranty. Its likely a gray market camera, but if they are not a authorized reseller, thats not warrantied either.As to ebay charging over 10 percent, I just sold off my Nikon D800 and 24-70mm f/2.8 G, and the ebay fee was 2.8%.

Good point Mt. Spokane! There is no mention of any warranty in the ad.

I checked another ad on Ebay, which happened to be for the Mark 3 with kit lens... It clearly states that there is a USA warranty included. I assume that means the warranty card is in the box. However, if I read your comment correctly, the warranty is void if the camera is not sold by an Authorized Canon Dealer. Is there an easy way to find out if a dealer is authorized?

I would not wish to buy a Canon product without the warranty. I've had to send stuff to Canon Service many times!

I just ordered a MK3 body for 3,099 on evil bay. USA retail, non-grey market. 8)

Its really too bad your supporting evil bay by buying something they will get at least a 10% fee out of on the seller side, if not more when you factor in the PayPal fees as well. :\ (I really despise ebay these days...moneygrubbing greedmonsters...meh.)

Oh well, Too bad canon didn't turn out a product that I feel is worth the extra 500$ Retail. ::)

Well, at least Canon would put that extra $500 to GOOD use! More money to fund better R&D, so that the next sensor they release IS as good as an Exmor, maybe? ;P All eBay will do with it is hire more moneygrubbing greedmonsters to figure out how to stick it to their sellers to and even greater degree! Yay...funding ebay greed...fun....

I'm holding out for $3000 myself. It's not that I don't have $3500 in the bank, it's just that I can't justify more than 3 grand to upgrade from my 5D classic which I've learned to use really well within the limits of the autofocus system. By that I mean avoiding situations where focus is critical. I also have a 7D that is currently working quite well.

I'll probably wait till near the end of the year before buying. Maybe the new entry level FF will meet my needs if the autofocus system has microfocus adjust that lets you calibrate at both ends of the zoom range. And who knows? Maybe we'll start seeing Mark Three's in the Canon Refurbished store!

I'm holding out for $3000 myself. It's not that I don't have $3500 in the bank, it's just that I can't justify more than 3 grand to upgrade from my 5D classic which I've learned to use really well within the limits of the autofocus system. By that I mean avoiding situations where focus is critical. I also have a 7D that is currently working quite well.

I'll probably wait till near the end of the year before buying. Maybe the new entry level FF will meet my needs if the autofocus system has microfocus adjust that lets you calibrate at both ends of the zoom range. And who knows? Maybe we'll start seeing Mark Three's in the Canon Refurbished store!

Mike

maybe they will have got the crayons out and coloured in those stealth AF points too! :Pi bet my first mk3 body i sent back will be in the refurbished store

I just ordered a MK3 body for 3,099 on evil bay. USA retail, non-grey market. 8)

Its really too bad your supporting evil bay by buying something they will get at least a 10% fee out of on the seller side, if not more when you factor in the PayPal fees as well. :\ (I really despise ebay these days...moneygrubbing greedmonsters...meh.)

Oh well, Too bad canon didn't turn out a product that I feel is worth the extra 500$ Retail. ::)

Well, at least Canon would put that extra $500 to GOOD use! More money to fund better R&D, so that the next sensor they release IS as good as an Exmor, maybe? ;P All eBay will do with it is hire more moneygrubbing greedmonsters to figure out how to stick it to their sellers to and even greater degree! Yay...funding ebay greed...fun....

You bet, Canon would put those 500 Bucks in their pocket! LoL! ;D

Look Canon should have just priced the 5d3 at 2999$ and everything would have been peachy. It would be an equal priced but faster camera to compete with the d800. When an extra 500$ get slammed on top of the other thing's I'll need to run the camera into my workflow, Its just bleh.

I probably would have just purchased the 5D3 at release if it was 2999$. No problemo.

I just ordered a MK3 body for 3,099 on evil bay. USA retail, non-grey market. 8)

Its really too bad your supporting evil bay by buying something they will get at least a 10% fee out of on the seller side, if not more when you factor in the PayPal fees as well. :\ (I really despise ebay these days...moneygrubbing greedmonsters...meh.)

Oh well, Too bad canon didn't turn out a product that I feel is worth the extra 500$ Retail. ::)

Well, at least Canon would put that extra $500 to GOOD use! More money to fund better R&D, so that the next sensor they release IS as good as an Exmor, maybe? ;P All eBay will do with it is hire more moneygrubbing greedmonsters to figure out how to stick it to their sellers to and even greater degree! Yay...funding ebay greed...fun....

You bet, Canon would put those 500 Bucks in their pocket! LoL! ;D

Look Canon should have just priced the 5d3 at 2999$ and everything would have been peachy. It would be an equal priced but faster camera to compete with the d800. When an extra 500$ get slammed on top of the other thing's I'll need to run the camera into my workflow, Its just bleh.

I probably would have just purchased the 5D3 at release if it was 2999$. No problemo.

Agree with you again RL....jrista-canon doesn't get the extra $500, the retailer is the entity that is taking the "hit" to their profit. Canon sells cameras at a specific price to retailers, if the retailer doesn't price it at MSRP then the retailer earns less profit. Canon still profits by the same amount whether you buy it at $3500 or $3000.

Also...I totally agree that Canon is overcharging on the 5d3 by $500....I believe the price will decline to $2999 by year end because the demand won't be there at $3500.

I just ordered a MK3 body for 3,099 on evil bay. USA retail, non-grey market. 8)

Its really too bad your supporting evil bay by buying something they will get at least a 10% fee out of on the seller side, if not more when you factor in the PayPal fees as well. :\ (I really despise ebay these days...moneygrubbing greedmonsters...meh.)

That's true but you're also getting the advantage of selling to or buying from, millions of people. They're a business, they have to make money.

I just ordered a MK3 body for 3,099 on evil bay. USA retail, non-grey market. 8)

Its really too bad your supporting evil bay by buying something they will get at least a 10% fee out of on the seller side, if not more when you factor in the PayPal fees as well. :\ (I really despise ebay these days...moneygrubbing greedmonsters...meh.)

Oh well, Too bad canon didn't turn out a product that I feel is worth the extra 500$ Retail. ::)

Well, at least Canon would put that extra $500 to GOOD use! More money to fund better R&D, so that the next sensor they release IS as good as an Exmor, maybe? ;P All eBay will do with it is hire more moneygrubbing greedmonsters to figure out how to stick it to their sellers to and even greater degree! Yay...funding ebay greed...fun....

You bet, Canon would put those 500 Bucks in their pocket! LoL! ;D

Look Canon should have just priced the 5d3 at 2999$ and everything would have been peachy. It would be an equal priced but faster camera to compete with the d800. When an extra 500$ get slammed on top of the other thing's I'll need to run the camera into my workflow, Its just bleh.

I probably would have just purchased the 5D3 at release if it was 2999$. No problemo.

What pocket? Canon isn't just a service like ebay...they CREATE STUFF...they are a manufacturer that produces millions of units a day (at least) of various devices that fuel businesses and the personal creativity of millions (if not hundreds of millions) around the globe. If the argument is that Canon can't sell the 5D III at $3499, I think the numbers falsify that on its face. B&H alone during the pre-order phase received TENS OF THOUSANDS of orders. If we assume that number was just 10,000, that extra $500 totals an additional 5 million in what your claiming is extra cost that no one is willing to pay. On top of B&H, you also had thousands of preorders on Adorama, Amazon, etc. There are also all of the sales since the camera actually hit the streets. Were talking, what...a few hundred million extra dollars that consumers have spent on a camera that is supposedly overpriced by $500? I think the consumer collective is reinforcing Canon's research, and the $3499 price is spot on and certainly reasonable, if the numbers have anything to say about it.

Agree with you again RL....jrista-canon doesn't get the extra $500, the retailer is the entity that is taking the "hit" to their profit. Canon sells cameras at a specific price to retailers, if the retailer doesn't price it at MSRP then the retailer earns less profit. Canon still profits by the same amount whether you buy it at $3500 or $3000.

Also...I totally agree that Canon is overcharging on the 5d3 by $500....I believe the price will decline to $2999 by year end because the demand won't be there at $3500.

Sure, there is certainly a retail markup, however I was illustrating (or trying to illustrate) a point. I would actually be surprised if Canon is wholeselling to retailers at the same cost as Nikon is. Nikon has the benefit of riding on Sony's back from an R&D standpoint...a lucrative alliance to say the least. Canon is a self-contained powerhouse, and I would expect their wholesale to be higher to cover higher R&D costs. So maybe they only get $2500 a camera while Nikon gets $2200 a camera...the customer is ultimately footing the bill.

eBay is a service...they don't produce anything, they rake in money, pay for their infrastructure, and pocket the rest (with, evidently, a healthy budget for figuring out how to rake in ever greater sums of money to the literal and thoroughly (and validly!) bitched about detriment to the very force that keeps them alive...sellers.) Canon is a manufacturer, and they don't just pocket the money they get for each camera sale. First and foremost it has to go to further manufacturing to produce supply to meet demand. Beyond that, while I'm sure there is a fair amount padding the neatly lined pockets of Canon management, a they DO have a healthy budget for R&D of new products. The whole package deal with the 5D III and 1D X are a testament to that...there was a considerable amount of research and development effort put into BOTH cameras, and it certainly wasn't cheap to do.

Buying a 5D III off of eBay (unless its from an eBay merchant that buys direct from Canon in the first place...not sure how you could really tell if thats the case or not) doesn't really fund R&D so that the next camera you buy from Canon does have a better sensor. It ultimately funds a money-making service that doesn't produce anything, and has for many years now progressively buried the sellers that make eBay a reality under deeper and ever more complicated fee structures, causing many small businesses that were dependent on eBay to simply fold, while greatly eating away at seller profits for anyone else who's stuck around. If you want to demonize a corporation, I'd say eBay is far easier to demonize than Canon...its pretty clear eBay these days (thanks to pretty much zero competition...an ailment that Canon is NOT suffering by any means!) are little more than money grubbing greedy bastards at the best of times, and have little regard for the people who pay all those ridiculous fees and keep them afloat.

At least Canon is a company that produces something, and that helps fuel the creativity of millions. Their products are far from "bad", and while they have lost the edge they held to SoNikon...their sensors, AF capabilities, etc. will improve and become competitive again unless Canon is simply admitting total defeat and giving up entirely (something I doubt whole-heartedly).

How about $2865? With free shipping?http://www.eglobaldigitalcameras.com.au/canon-eos-5d-mark-iii-body-only-digital-slr-camera.html (http://www.eglobaldigitalcameras.com.au/canon-eos-5d-mark-iii-body-only-digital-slr-camera.html)

Yes, it's gray, but that's a fairly compelling price. I have bought lesser items from this mob and had no issues. Fast delivery with tracking, items properly packaged etc.

I paid full price for my 5D3 to qualify for CPS benefits. Lucky for me! At under 10,000 shutter actuations I needed the shutter replaced. It took 3 days and I had a loan body during the repair period. It would have been a different story with a gray purchase.

This isn't about anybody else beside my personal decision and opinion on buying a camera off of evil bay. I put 500$ extra in my pocket that I will use for other stuff I'll need. If you'd like to forfeit your extra dough over to a retail price camera, that's your decision.

If the seller on evil bay wasn't going to make money on evil bay, They wouldn't put it on evil bay. If the seller is willing to take a loss on evil bay, that's the seller choice.

This isn't about anybody else beside my personal decision and opinion on buying a camera off of evil bay. I put 500$ extra in my pocket that I will use for other stuff I'll need. If you'd like to forfeit your extra dough over to a retail price camera, that's your decision.

If the seller on evil bay wasn't going to make money on evil bay, They wouldn't put it on evil bay. If the seller is willing to take a loss on evil bay, that's the seller choice.

Its quite simple economics, and I like that. ::)

Well, my comments were more about what seemed like more complaining and demonizing of Canon for charging a beastly extra $500. I was just pointing out (perhaps in an overly wordy manner) that if you want to demonize someone, demonize ebay...they more than deserve it. They probably made $320 in final sale fees off the poor sap who sold a 5D III for $3099, not including PayPal fees and whatever the initial listing fee was. Add all that up, and they walked away with...oh, maybe $2600? Knock off the wholesale cost, and thats a rinky dinky small profit margin... :(

Good for you for saving $400 (certainly not dissing that!!), but whenever I hear about eBay these days it makes me want to punch something...repeatedly...preferably an ebay C-level douche...

Good point Mt. Spokane! There is no mention of any warranty in the ad.

I checked another ad on Ebay, which happened to be for the Mark 3 with kit lens... It clearly states that there is a USA warranty included. I assume that means the warranty card is in the box. However, if I read your comment correctly, the warranty is void if the camera is not sold by an Authorized Canon Dealer. Is there an easy way to find out if a dealer is authorized?

I would not wish to buy a Canon product without the warranty. I've had to send stuff to Canon Service many times!

Mike in Portland

http://www.usa.canon.com/app/pdf/dealer/CanonAuthorizedDealers.pdf (http://www.usa.canon.com/app/pdf/dealer/CanonAuthorizedDealers.pdf)Remember, it does not matter if there is a US warranty card in the box, Canon goes by the receipt.Some sellers are taking out the batteries and blaming the US post office. Its illegal to send a li-on battery in international mail. The seller says he is in New Jersey.

I believe Canon can lower the price of the 5Diii when the 5Dii is officially discontinued. It is actually smart of them keeping the 5Diii high- it keeps the "old" 5Dii selling really well as a "value" camera at 2k!

Nikon discontinued their D700 and needed to be aggressive to compete with Canon's market dominance.

R&D costs are factored into the price canon sells these cameras to retailers - not the price end customers pay. Canon doesn't give these cameras away and asks for R&D money - they sell these to retailers at a price point that includes all costs & profits margin. As soon as Canon sells a Camera (or Lens.....) to a Retailer, Canon makes it's profits, and that's it. Different pricing to end customers affects Retailers! A one-man Ebay seller can live with much lower return than a photo store with infrastructure, employees, rent/mortage and other costs. It is these Retailers that get hurt, those that provide service beyond selling and shipping the camera.

@jrista: Ebay does not sell the camera. An independent seller is using ebay as a platform to sell it. He is raking the profits, ebay just gets a fee for it's services. Canon does not get hurt by this, as they get their money from selling to retailers. Grey-merket imports are an exception if Canon sells the camera to retailers in that region at a lower price, but due to Canon's warranty practice, the customer might ultimately pay the price for that. But Canon is ultimately controlling pricing and it's profits through it's wholesale pricing & strategies.

check my (very long) post in the middle of this to see how price and relative sales have been moving:http://www.canonrumors.com/forum/index.php?topic=6539.45 (http://www.canonrumors.com/forum/index.php?topic=6539.45)

the price briefly fell to $3199 on adorama (15-jul), and right now the kit is out of stock but listed at $4049 directly from amazon

and yes, when it's $3000 directly from amazon or bh, it will be a mildly reasonable price, and I may pull the trigger on the 5D3 and stop complainingat $3450, I'm still leaning towards the 5D2I have to buy the camera, whichever it is, before august 6th

This isn't about anybody else beside my personal decision and opinion on buying a camera off of evil bay. I put 500$ extra in my pocket that I will use for other stuff I'll need. If you'd like to forfeit your extra dough over to a retail price camera, that's your decision.

If the seller on evil bay wasn't going to make money on evil bay, They wouldn't put it on evil bay. If the seller is willing to take a loss on evil bay, that's the seller choice.

Its quite simple economics, and I like that. ::)

Well, my comments were more about what seemed like more complaining and demonizing of Canon for charging a beastly extra $500. I was just pointing out (perhaps in an overly wordy manner) that if you want to demonize someone, demonize ebay...they more than deserve it. They probably made $320 in final sale fees off the poor sap who sold a 5D III for $3099, not including PayPal fees and whatever the initial listing fee was. Add all that up, and they walked away with...oh, maybe $2600? Knock off the wholesale cost, and thats a rinky dinky small profit margin... :(

Good for you for saving $400 (certainly not dissing that!!), but whenever I hear about eBay these days it makes me want to punch something...repeatedly...preferably an ebay C-level douche...

Jrista - not trying to get you in a "punching" mood but....as I'm reading the morning business news I see eBay reported earnings last night....

SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) — EBay Inc. shares rose more than 5% in after-hours trading Wednesday after the company reported second-quarter earnings that more-than-doubled from a year ago and recorded strong gains from its marketplaces and PayPal payments divisions.

check my (very long) post in the middle of this to see how price and relative sales have been moving:http://www.canonrumors.com/forum/index.php?topic=6539.45 (http://www.canonrumors.com/forum/index.php?topic=6539.45)

the price briefly fell to $3199 on adorama (15-jul), and right now the kit is out of stock but listed at $4049 directly from amazon

and yes, when it's $3000 directly from amazon or bh, it will be a mildly reasonable price, and I may pull the trigger on the 5D3 and stop complainingat $3450, I'm still leaning towards the 5D2I have to buy the camera, whichever it is, before august 6th

Norman....I'm a numbers guy, and when I'm looking at buying a camera, car, bike...etc, I think it's very important to try and determine up front how long you'll own it, and what it might be worth at the future point in time that you might sell it.

In this case the decision is $3400 or $2000, if you were to sell each 5 years from now, roughly how much would you get?My guess:(with normal use and care)5d3 in 5 years is worth $23005d2 in 5 years is worth $900

So, my estimate for the 5d3 total cost of ownership in this case is $1100, and my 5d2 estimated total cost of ownership is also $1100

Three other things to consider - the time value of money...not really a consideration because interest rates are at historical lows. Second consideration, is one product superior to the other? I think that answer is obvious...the 5d3 is a better camera and therefore will provide you with some level of additional benefit as compared to a 5d2.( how much extra benefit depends on how you use it) Third, do you have the extra $1400 available or would you have to borrow it? Only you can answer this question.

I paid full price for my 5D3 to qualify for CPS benefits. Lucky for me! At under 10,000 shutter actuations I needed the shutter replaced. It took 3 days and I had a loan body during the repair period. It would have been a different story with a gray purchase.

How about $2865? With free shipping?http://www.eglobaldigitalcameras.com.au/canon-eos-5d-mark-iii-body-only-digital-slr-camera.html (http://www.eglobaldigitalcameras.com.au/canon-eos-5d-mark-iii-body-only-digital-slr-camera.html)

Yes, it's gray, but that's a fairly compelling price. I have bought lesser items from this mob and had no issues. Fast delivery with tracking, items properly packaged etc.

I paid full price for my 5D3 to qualify for CPS benefits. Lucky for me! At under 10,000 shutter actuations I needed the shutter replaced. It took 3 days and I had a loan body during the repair period. It would have been a different story with a gray purchase.

check my (very long) post in the middle of this to see how price and relative sales have been moving:http://www.canonrumors.com/forum/index.php?topic=6539.45 (http://www.canonrumors.com/forum/index.php?topic=6539.45)

the price briefly fell to $3199 on adorama (15-jul), and right now the kit is out of stock but listed at $4049 directly from amazon

and yes, when it's $3000 directly from amazon or bh, it will be a mildly reasonable price, and I may pull the trigger on the 5D3 and stop complainingat $3450, I'm still leaning towards the 5D2I have to buy the camera, whichever it is, before august 6th

Norman....I'm a numbers guy, and when I'm looking at buying a camera, car, bike...etc, I think it's very important to try and determine up front how long you'll own it, and what it might be worth at the future point in time that you might sell it.

In this case the decision is $3400 or $2000, if you were to sell each 5 years from now, roughly how much would you get?My guess:(with normal use and care)5d3 in 5 years is worth $23005d2 in 5 years is worth $900

So, my estimate for the 5d3 total cost of ownership in this case is $1100, and my 5d2 estimated total cost of ownership is also $1100

Three other things to consider - the time value of money...not really a consideration because interest rates are at historical lows. Second consideration, is one product superior to the other? I think that answer is obvious...the 5d3 is a better camera and therefore will provide you with some level of additional benefit as compared to a 5d2.( how much extra benefit depends on how you use it) Third, do you have the extra $1400 available or would you have to borrow it? Only you can answer this question.

Hope this helps your decision making!

If this number is true, then upgrade to newer body every 4-5 yrs is not bad at all ;D

Cost $1200 to own a body in 5yrs = $20 per month or 66cents per day. I think it's cheaper than rental :D

I probably would have just purchased the 5D3 at release if it was 2999$. No problemo.

Same here. 3.5K is not a problem. However, that's just not a right price for me. I will keep using my 5D2 till the price of 5D3 drops to 3K.

What if it rises up after new entry level FF? :)

If the price of the new entry level FF is below 2K, the price of 5D3 should drop to about 3K. Actually I am very interested in the new entry level FF camera. However, not much information about it yet.

If the price of the new entry level FF is below 2K, the price of 5D3 should drop to about 3K. Actually I am very interested in the new entry level FF camera. However, not much information about it yet.

If the price of the new entry level FF is below 2K, the price of 5D3 should drop to about 3K. Actually I am very interested in the new entry level FF camera. However, not much information about it yet.

If the price of the new entry level FF is below 2K, the price of 5D3 should drop to about 3K. Actually I am very interested in the new entry level FF camera. However, not much information about it yet.

And if the price of entry level FF would be around 2500$?

Lots of people would wait until its 2000$ 8)

Now I see this relationship :)

BTW - Currently on main site of CR in section with 10 forum subjects there are 5 regarding 1DX and 2 regarding 5d3. I really need to get one because in a while I won't have neither what to read nor write about :) Who cares about 5d2 anymore :D

If the price of the new entry level FF is below 2K, the price of 5D3 should drop to about 3K. Actually I am very interested in the new entry level FF camera. However, not much information about it yet.

BTW - Currently on main site of CR in section with 10 forum subjects there are 5 regarding 1DX and 2 regarding 5d3. I really need to get one because in a while I won't have neither what to read nor write about :) Who cares about 5d2 anymore :D

Well, I'd be more than happy to take that 5d2 off your hands :)

My 7D serves me well, but if a refurb 5d2 drops down to $1500, I just might have to scrounge up some cash for that.

BTW - Currently on main site of CR in section with 10 forum subjects there are 5 regarding 1DX and 2 regarding 5d3. I really need to get one because in a while I won't have neither what to read nor write about :) Who cares about 5d2 anymore :D

Well, I'd be more than happy to take that 5d2 off your hands :)

My 7D serves me well, but if a refurb 5d2 drops down to $1500, I just might have to scrounge up some cash for that.

... As to ebay charging over 10 percent, I just sold off my Nikon D800 and 24-70mm f/2.8 G, and the ebay fee was 2.8%.

May I ask how you have eBay fees that low? Are you a power seller? Ever since I sold my first item years ago my fee has always been 9% of sale price and shipping price (and another 2.9% to Paypal for the transaction fee).

... As to ebay charging over 10 percent, I just sold off my Nikon D800 and 24-70mm f/2.8 G, and the ebay fee was 2.8%.

May I ask how you have eBay fees that low? Are you a power seller? Ever since I sold my first item years ago my fee has always been 9% of sale price and shipping price (and another 2.9% to Paypal for the transaction fee).

I think the higher priced items take a lower %, either that or they charge a certain % on the first $1k, and then the % drops every $1k after that, I can't remember. But in combination with the Paypal fees it really adds up.

... As to ebay charging over 10 percent, I just sold off my Nikon D800 and 24-70mm f/2.8 G, and the ebay fee was 2.8%.

May I ask how you have eBay fees that low? Are you a power seller? Ever since I sold my first item years ago my fee has always been 9% of sale price and shipping price (and another 2.9% to Paypal for the transaction fee).

I think the higher priced items take a lower %, either that or they charge a certain % on the first $1k, and then the % drops every $1k after that, I can't remember. But in combination with the Paypal fees it really adds up.

He must have done a fixed-price listing which is a tiered system, and drops from 7% (up to $50) to 2% (over $1000). I've been an eBay seller all these years and never bothered to thoroughly read through the fee structure. This might change how I list things in the future.

definitely check if it's from an authorized dealer regarding the warranty. a lot of ebay sellers will state that the product comes with a USA warranty, but they won't state that that warranty is actually provided by their own company and not by canon, usually making it completely useless. i do sell on and have bought off of ebay, and there are definitely people and companies selling on ebay that i've come to trust, but it's best to be sure that whoever you're buying from is an authorized dealer and it's always nice to see a photo of that red USA warranty card too.

There is one that are listed on Canon's authorized dealer list (and I remember I got my 40D, 5dmark II, 7D from them back when bing throwing out cash)is pmidigital , right now list body as $3,267.75.The receipt is "PROFEEL MARKETING, INC."I have my 7D service without problem.

There is one that are listed on Canon's authorized dealer list (and I remember I got my 40D, 5dmark II, 7D from them back when bing throwing out cash)is pmidigital , right now list body as $3,267.75.The receipt is "PROFEEL MARKETING, INC."I have my 7D service without problem.

Amazon.com is selling it for $3249. 42nd Street Photo is selling it for $3079 and Best Price Photo is selling it for $2899. These are Amazon and amazon sponsored vendors.

There is one that are listed on Canon's authorized dealer list (and I remember I got my 40D, 5dmark II, 7D from them back when bing throwing out cash)is pmidigital , right now list body as $3,267.75.The receipt is "PROFEEL MARKETING, INC."I have my 7D service without problem.

Amazon.com is selling it for $3249. 42nd Street Photo is selling it for $3079 and Best Price Photo is selling it for $2899. These are Amazon and amazon sponsored vendors.

There is one that are listed on Canon's authorized dealer list (and I remember I got my 40D, 5dmark II, 7D from them back when bing throwing out cash)is pmidigital , right now list body as $3,267.75.The receipt is "PROFEEL MARKETING, INC."I have my 7D service without problem.

Amazon.com is selling it for $3249. 42nd Street Photo is selling it for $3079 and Best Price Photo is selling it for $2899. These are Amazon and amazon sponsored vendors.

Today at amazon: body only in stock for $3349 with free shipping, kit backordered but listed at $4099

And about my 5D2 vs 5D3 decision: I woulnd't hold the 5D2 for 5 years, just one or two. Over that period, I think the 5D3 will fall in price faster than the 5D2. Because the D800 is a lot better and is selling for $3000.(If it doesn't, I'll just wait for the next generation, for me the 5D3 is not worth a $1500 premium over the 5D2; also, I've decided to wait for the next generation before switching brands: anybody can have a mishap...)also: Canon 5D vs 1D (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bEwUnENlc9M#ws)

Today at amazon: body only in stock for $3349 with free shipping, kit backordered but listed at $4099

And about my 5D2 vs 5D3 decision: I woulnd't hold the 5D2 for 5 years, just one or two. Over that period, I think the 5D3 will fall in price faster than the 5D2. Because the D800 is a lot better and is selling for $3000.(If it doesn't, I'll just wait for the next generation, for me the 5D3 is not worth a $1500 premium over the 5D2; also, I've decided to wait for the next generation before switching brands: anybody can have a mishap...)also:

Today at amazon: body only in stock for $3349 with free shipping, kit backordered but listed at $4099

And about my 5D2 vs 5D3 decision: I woulnd't hold the 5D2 for 5 years, just one or two. Over that period, I think the 5D3 will fall in price faster than the 5D2. Because the D800 is a lot better and is selling for $3000.(If it doesn't, I'll just wait for the next generation, for me the 5D3 is not worth a $1500 premium over the 5D2; also, I've decided to wait for the next generation before switching brands: anybody can have a mishap...)also: Canon 5D vs 1D (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bEwUnENlc9M#ws)

That's a funny video..."yeah, but I've got a 1d"?.

also, when I finished that video on YouTube, i noticed on the same page there was a hilarious video of Ricky gervais and Gordon Ramsey that's worth watching....gervais is a comic genius

Doesn't matter where you buy, it's still an inventory unit produced by Canon. They get their markup from the initial sale to a distributor, to a dealer or direct channel (where they get the dealer's share also). The pricingon the 5DMkIII is Canon's call - but a Nikon 800 at $2999 is appealing to a number of current Canon users.As Canon releases more MarkII lenses with a 100% price increase from the "older" models - buying all newlenses for an 800 is not as terrifying as it once was (and still is!),

Doesn't matter where you buy, it's still an inventory unit produced by Canon. They get their markup from the initial sale to a distributor, to a dealer or direct channel (where they get the dealer's share also). The pricingon the 5DMkIII is Canon's call - but a Nikon 800 at $2999 is appealing to a number of current Canon users.As Canon releases more MarkII lenses with a 100% price increase from the "older" models - buying all newlenses for an 800 is not as terrifying as it once was (and still is!),

I was all set to buy the 5DIII from B&H for $3350, but it's back to $3500 now for some reason. Amazon is back to $3500 now too. What gives? I'm definitely not buying it without the warranty. Anybody know another place to get it for around the $3350 mark that is authorized by Canon?

I was all set to buy the 5DIII from B&H for $3350, but it's back to $3500 now for some reason. Amazon is back to $3500 now too. What gives? I'm definitely not buying it without the warranty. Anybody know another place to get it for around the $3350 mark that is authorized by Canon?

$3350 vs. $3500. That $150 concern will be dispelled quickly once you begin shooting with your 5D Mark III. I guarantee it (just like the guy on the Burlington Coat Factory commercial).

^ I'm on a budget - kind of. I sold my 5DII already and the funds should clear tomorrow, but I had all my finances worked out to the dollar to get the MKIII and then I saw that it went back to $3500. I know in the grand scheme it's not that much, but $150 bucks is $150 bucks! That's spending/food money for a week+, or half a BGE11 grip in my mind. I just don't get why they would go back to the original price after lowering it. It's not like they even declared a sale until a specific day. it was just randomly lowered for a week and then put back. It was really bizarre and I don't want to order and then see it back to $3350 in a day or two and be all pissed at myself for it. Same thing happened at Amazon for whatever reason. It's like they know most people get paid on Friday so they are gonna raise it again? It's gotta be some kind of cruel joke or something...

Ken I was just joking with you. I know what you mean. Maybe you should keep saving a bit longer and buy one in a few months so that it is not so stressful. I am not sure what caused the slight price dip, but just in case save up an extra 150-300 bucks before you buy one. I am just thrilled with mine.

I was all set to buy the 5DIII from B&H for $3350, but it's back to $3500 now for some reason. Amazon is back to $3500 now too. What gives? I'm definitely not buying it without the warranty. Anybody know another place to get it for around the $3350 mark that is authorized by Canon?

That's strange that the price jumped back up. It also sux :(

What's also odd is that I just called and spoke with someone at B&H because I purchased it at the $3484 price and told him I saw the price was at $3349. He immediately credited my credit card for the $135 difference. Did he know the price was going back up? Maybe? Maybe not?

I think even at $3500 it's a great camera and worth every penny. If a person needs it for professional use (like myself), it'll pay for itself really quickly. Makes my original 5D almost feel like a point-n-shoot ;)

Ken I was just joking with you. I know what you mean. Maybe you should keep saving a bit longer and buy one in a few months so that it is not so stressful. I am not sure what caused the slight price dip, but just in case save up an extra 150-300 bucks before you buy one. I am just thrilled with mine.

I figured, especially with the Burlington Coat reference haha. I can spare the $150 and I definitely think it's worth the money (unlike others) so I'll probably get it either way, but I definitely can't wait a few months. I don't shoot for a living or anything (I'm a sys admin at a large company), but I have a wedding to shoot in two weeks so I gotta get it soon :)

I was all set to buy the 5DIII from B&H for $3350, but it's back to $3500 now for some reason. Amazon is back to $3500 now too. What gives? I'm definitely not buying it without the warranty. Anybody know another place to get it for around the $3350 mark that is authorized by Canon?

That's strange that the price jumped back up. It also sux :(

What's also odd is that I just called and spoke with someone at B&H because I purchased it at the $3484 price and told him I saw the price was at $3349. He immediately credited my credit card for the $135 difference. Did he know the price was going back up? Maybe? Maybe not?

I think even at $3500 it's a great camera and worth every penny. If a person needs it for professional use (like myself), it'll pay for itself really quickly. Makes my original 5D almost feel like a point-n-shoot ;)

That's a good idea with calling B&H. I was shocked (and elated) to find out all I had to do was ask for the USA version of the 70-200 MKII when I was buying the import version right after the rebates ended, so maybe I can just call and ask to get the price they had displayed a few days ago. B&H is pretty awesome about stuff like that.

Doesn't matter where you buy, it's still an inventory unit produced by Canon. They get their markup from the initial sale to a distributor, to a dealer or direct channel (where they get the dealer's share also). The pricingon the 5DMkIII is Canon's call - but a Nikon 800 at $2999 is appealing to a number of current Canon users.As Canon releases more MarkII lenses with a 100% price increase from the "older" models - buying all newlenses for an 800 is not as terrifying as it once was (and still is!),

IMO a camera has to be appealing for certain reasons, not necessarily price. If I was just shooting portraits or landscapes then yes, the 800 would be appealing. Take the 5dIII, it's appeal for me is all about the AF, high ISO, FPS, crunching power, etc. People will argue that it's $500 more. That's true but the cameras are not the same. Comparing the features, the 5DIII is worth the extra 500 bucks, and for my needs it's a better all-round camera.

Doesn't matter where you buy, it's still an inventory unit produced by Canon. They get their markup from the initial sale to a distributor, to a dealer or direct channel (where they get the dealer's share also). The pricingon the 5DMkIII is Canon's call - but a Nikon 800 at $2999 is appealing to a number of current Canon users.As Canon releases more MarkII lenses with a 100% price increase from the "older" models - buying all newlenses for an 800 is not as terrifying as it once was (and still is!),

IMO a camera has to be appealing for certain reasons, not necessarily price. If I was just shooting portraits or landscapes then yes, the 800 would be appealing. Take the 5dIII, it's appeal for me is all about the AF, high ISO, FPS, crunching power, etc. People will argue that it's $500 more. That's true but the cameras are not the same. Comparing the features, the 5DIII is worth the extra 500 bucks, and for my needs it's a better all-round camera.

I was all set to buy the 5DIII from B&H for $3350, but it's back to $3500 now for some reason. Amazon is back to $3500 now too. What gives? I'm definitely not buying it without the warranty. Anybody know another place to get it for around the $3350 mark that is authorized by Canon?

$3350 vs. $3500. That $150 concern will be dispelled quickly once you begin shooting with your 5D Mark III. I guarantee it (just like the guy on the Burlington Coat Factory commercial).

Isn't the commercial you are referring to The Men's Warehouse? "You're gonna like the way you look, I guarantee it!"

I was lucky to have been born with patience. My current cameras still give first class images today and they will tomorrow. I am happy to wait until my new one arrives - I waited 9 months before ordering it, I am sure that I can wait till the end of the year before it comes. There is no hurry.

I was all set to buy the 5DIII from B&H for $3350, but it's back to $3500 now for some reason. Amazon is back to $3500 now too. What gives? I'm definitely not buying it without the warranty. Anybody know another place to get it for around the $3350 mark that is authorized by Canon?

$3350 vs. $3500. That $150 concern will be dispelled quickly once you begin shooting with your 5D Mark III. I guarantee it (just like the guy on the Burlington Coat Factory commercial).

Isn't the commercial you are referring to The Men's Warehouse? "You're gonna like the way you look, I guarantee it!"

^ I'm on a budget - kind of. I sold my 5DII already and the funds should clear tomorrow, but I had all my finances worked out to the dollar to get the MKIII and then I saw that it went back to $3500. I know in the grand scheme it's not that much, but $150 bucks is $150 bucks! That's spending/food money for a week+, or half a BGE11 grip in my mind. I just don't get why they would go back to the original price after lowering it. It's not like they even declared a sale until a specific day. it was just randomly lowered for a week and then put back. It was really bizarre and I don't want to order and then see it back to $3350 in a day or two and be all pissed at myself for it. Same thing happened at Amazon for whatever reason. It's like they know most people get paid on Friday so they are gonna raise it again? It's gotta be some kind of cruel joke or something...

I regularly check Canon Pricewatch and PMI (profeel) has had the 5D MkIII on sale (FleaBay) for 3,199.75 for a couple weeks.

They are listed on Canon's list of Authorized Dealers (http://www.usa.canon.com/CUSA/assets/app/pdf/dealer/CanonAuthorizedDealers.pdf).

If you are based in US, I would recommend buying the product from http://www.bhphotovideo.com (http://www.bhphotovideo.com).

I bought two cameras last fall 7D and 5D from them, they did price match for me for the price drop within one or two weeks. and also as long as you don't click more than 200 frames , you can always return camera for full refund or ask for price match.....

Price match was 90 $ for each camera. they refunded me 180 $Also follow them in facebook , they always update facebook for pricedrops.always BH buddy, Trust me , best customer service in electronics world.

I guess all bodies with the light leakage issue dropped in price. So one can find a body for $3000 in US online.However, B&H sells newer version and the price is as of today $3500.Cheaper version: 5260A002 B&H verision: 5260B002

I guess all bodies with the light leakage issue dropped in price. So one can find a body for $3000 in US online.However, B&H sells newer version and the price is as of today $35000.Cheaper version: 5260A002 B&H verision: 5260B002

Not 100% sure, but pretty much convinced about the statements above.

Another B&H ripoff... there must be a $31,500 rebate coming from Canon soon.

I should have waited to purchase mine smh. The price of this camera seems to be dropping quicker than a brand new vehicle. Almost 15% since release.

And since the 6d "entry ff" rumor imho the 5d3 will continue to drop, since a lot of people wanting a ff body but not the old 5d2 will stop buying the 5d3. The early adopters willing to pay no matter what now have got it, so that's it for the $3500 price tag.

The 5d3 be very good for some applications (wedding/event). But many folks don't need the added gimmicks but are set back by the lack of sensor improvement over the 5d2.

And the one thing really setting the 5d3 apart from the competition is the af - but it's a mixed bag even apart from the af point highlight problem in servo: few people need this massive af point coverage, but might do better with less af points that are geared for non-f2.8 lenses, too (even my 60d has cross points on the side for the 70-300L, the 5d3 puts it in a group with only horizontal points to the sides).

I should have waited to purchase mine smh. The price of this camera seems to be dropping quicker than a brand new vehicle. Almost 15% since release.

And since the 6d "entry ff" rumor imho the 5d3 will continue to drop, since a lot of people wanting a ff body but not the old 5d2 will stop buying the 5d3. The early adopters willing to pay no matter what now have got it, so that's it for the $3500 price tag.

The 5d3 be very good for some applications (wedding/event). But many folks don't need the added gimmicks but are set back by the lack of sensor improvement over the 5d2.

And the one thing really setting the 5d3 apart from the competition is the af - but it's a mixed bag even apart from the af point highlight problem in servo: few people need this massive af point coverage, but might do better with less af points that are geared for non-f2.8 lenses, too (even my 60d has cross points on the side for the 70-300L, the 5d3 puts it in a group with only horizontal points to the sides).

The main advantage I see with the 5D3 over the 5D2 is the auto ISO in manual mode and this has really made it more of a sports camera now than just a wedding/portrait camera. You can now shoot sports with spot metering with a fixed aperture and minimum shutter speed. This would be unheard of with a 5D2. The AF sensor issue you talk about is true, don't get me wrong, but there are far less total AF points on the 60D and 5D2 that those cameras don't really factor into serious sports shooters' thoughts. In other words, the 60D does offer those points on the edge, but the 60D has less accessable points overall. Also, the "sides" of the 60D's fram is also 1.6x the distance of the sides of the 5D3. None of the advantages of the 5D3 over the 5D2 are gimmicks at all if you need the 5D3 for things that the 5D2 can't do. It's a matter of what YOU need the camera for. If I were only doing weddings, I probably wouldn't have spent the money on the 5D3 and just had a pair of 5D2's, to be quite honest with you.

My point is this. If we would see a 6D or something come out, it is very difficult to predict what type of camera it will be. Could it be an 18 MP APS-C camera? Sure, but maybe it will have an auto ISO in manual mode as well. Sort of an APS-C 5D Mark III with 18 MP? Or not. Who knows.

The main advantage I see with the 5D3 over the 5D2 is the auto ISO in manual mode and this has really made it more of a sports camera now than just a wedding/portrait camera. You can now shoot sports with spot metering with a fixed aperture and minimum shutter speed. This would be unheard of with a 5D2.

... of course Canon is just catching up with the crop cameras 60d, 7d etc there - I'm sure all upcoming Canon dslrs will have it.

The AF sensor issue you talk about is true, don't get me wrong, but there are far less total AF points on the 60D and 5D2 that those cameras don't really factor into serious sports shooters' thoughts.

Absolutely, the 60d just sucks at servo af, zero customization and little number of af points - but for amateur sports shooting many people will get a 7d due to the crop factor (= cheaper lenses), and pros probably will use the 1dx (faster, more precise af than 5d3) or 1d4 (1.3x crop). That's why I don't have the 5d3 in mind as a "sports" camera at all, but of course it's very usable for this purpose.

My point is this. If we would see a 6D or something come out, it is very difficult to predict what type of camera it will be.

The 6d will be placed as a Nikon d600 competition and as a more modern 5d2 replacement. And there will be a 6d, because it is a real novelty to keep the predecessor 5d2 alive alongside the successor. And Canon won't get away with their cheapest ff body priced as the 5d3 is now, the market pressure from below is just too high: If you can get very cheap bodies with the current 18mp aps-c sensor, only a few bird or budget sports shooters would buy a updated premium aps-c body.

Given that, imho the 6d won't be a surprise: 5d3 sensor, less sturdy body, slower fps, single card, less af points & cut servo af firmware, maybe swivel screen and no joystick but a multicontroller like on the 60d. And a lot of tiny hidden annoyances placed there by Canon marketing to make you with for a 5d3 :-o ... but anyway for under $2000, it'll sell just fine.

Any price drop probably won't reach the Euro-Countries because of the currently weak currency...

It was 2700 euro last week. So it probably has to do with the specific batch. Or they simply decided they were selling too cheap. Anyway I have 5DII and I am mostly interested in landscape photography so no rush to get 5DIII.

Any price drop probably won't reach the Euro-Countries because of the currently weak currency...

It was 2700 euro last week. So it probably has to do with the specific batch. Or they simply decided they were selling too cheap. Anyway I have 5DII and I am mostly interested in landscape photography so no rush to get 5DIII.

I got mine in Finland at Stockmann for €2899:https://stockmann.com/p/sv/Canon-EOS-5D-Mark-III-digital-systemkamera/298460?itemId=298461 (https://stockmann.com/p/sv/Canon-EOS-5D-Mark-III-digital-systemkamera/298460?itemId=298461)

There is also Verkkokauppa.com who got both body and kit:Body €2899,99:http://www.verkkokauppa.com/fi/product/56956/dgbvb/Canon-EOS-5D-Mark-III-digijarjestelmakamera-runko (http://www.verkkokauppa.com/fi/product/56956/dgbvb/Canon-EOS-5D-Mark-III-digijarjestelmakamera-runko)Kit: €3899http://www.verkkokauppa.com/fi/product/14609/dgcdd/Canon-EOS-5D-Mark-III-EF-24-105mm-4L-IS-USM (http://www.verkkokauppa.com/fi/product/14609/dgcdd/Canon-EOS-5D-Mark-III-EF-24-105mm-4L-IS-USM)

Sorry for the languages, first is Swedish, second FinnishBoth these seems to be pretty good prices compared to other european places...

There were a lot of posts initially on this thread saying that it would be years before the 5DmIII went below $3000. And conventional wisdom would agree with that prediction, but here we are a few months later and the camera is under $3k. It hasn't even been a year.

Crazy. I'll probably need one in a year or two when my 5DmII shows its age. I wonder how much it'll be by then. Who knows maybe $2400 or less :)

Any price drop probably won't reach the Euro-Countries because of the currently weak currency...

Which weak currency? Not the Euro, @ 103 Yen it is up +2.9% on the month, +6.6% over the last 3m and +3.5% year-to-date, the € is also up +5% vis-a-vis the US$ over the last 3-months and flat YTD @ $1.29

I think one of the main reasons of the price drop is to be more competitive with the D800. I was surprised it was $500 more (didn't stop me from pre-ordering one) but I think Canon may have realized people were actually contemplating switching brands over it and sales may have been slower than predicted. I'd be surprised to see it drop any significant amount from this point. Usually with the holiday rebates you see the stores raise their prices a little bit to account for rebates should Canon have a rebate on the MIII but I think this is something Canon requires the retailers to do. Reason I say that is one of the major retailers explained it a year ago and said that Canon had guide lines in place and if you wanted to participate in the rebate program then your prices had to be a certain amount.

Is the price drop really from Canon, or is it from retailers? I would be really curious to know whether Canon themselves is actually getting less per unit with recent drops to $3100 and $2900 and such, or whether it is simply that the initial 5D III Feaver has warn off? That all the pre-orders and early buyers who were anticipating the 5D III for years and were going to get one regardless are now done, and now retailers are trying to attract the more careful, price-wary buyers? Canon doesn't get $3500 a pop for each 5D III sold...they get something in the mid $2000 range. It is the retailers who are trying to build sales...and I assume that for all the prices down to the low of around $2700 I saw recently, they are still making a profit...as is Canon.

Is the price drop really from Canon, or is it from retailers? I would be really curious to know whether Canon themselves is actually getting less per unit with recent drops to $3100 and $2900 and such, or whether it is simply that the initial 5D III Feaver has warn off? That all the pre-orders and early buyers who were anticipating the 5D III for years and were going to get one regardless are now done, and now retailers are trying to attract the more careful, price-wary buyers? Canon doesn't get $3500 a pop for each 5D III sold...they get something in the mid $2000 range. It is the retailers who are trying to build sales...and I assume that for all the prices down to the low of around $2700 I saw recently, they are still making a profit...as is Canon.

I got my 5dIII for 2500EUR from a small shop. If you substract the sales tax of 19% you are at 2025EUR. The shop wants to earn something as well as the distributor. So my guess is that canon is getting something in the mid 1000EUR/$ (because EUR=$ for some unknown reason) range.